Former Green Bay Gamblers forward Will Zellers scored two goals for the University of North Dakota to lead the Fighting Hawks past the University of Nebraska Omaha 7-2 Friday night at home.
In his first season in college hockey, Zellers has scored five goals and dished out four assists in 10 games played to help eighth-ranked North Dakota to a 7-3 record. Zellers is also on a four-game points streak after scoring a goal and registering an assist in two games against the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and tallying an assist in Saturday’s game against Omaha.
In his only full season with the Gamblers last season, Zellers helped Green Bay to its third-straight Clark Cup Playoffs en route to being named USHL Forward of the Year, USHL Player of the Year and USA Hockey’s Junior Player of the Year.
Zellers finished with 44 goals and 27 assists for 71 points in 52 games during the 2024-2025 campaign. He led the USHL in goals and points per game (1.37), and also paced the USHL with seven game-winning goals.
Zellers is the eighth North Dakota recruit to win USHL Player of the Year and his 44 goals last season were the third-most by any USHL player in the last eight years.
Zellers, out of Maple Grove, Minnesota, was selected in the third round of the 2024 NHL Draft by the Colorado Avalanche with the 76th overall pick, and his draft rights were traded to the Boston Bruins in the Casey Mittelstadt, Charlie Coyle exchange at the NHL trade deadline last season.
